Abia State Arrests 114 Defaulters in Sanitation Drive

During the July edition of the Abia State Government's monthly environmental sanitation exercise held on Saturday, 114 sanitation defaulters were arrested in Aba and Umuahia. In Umuahia, 64 individuals were apprehended, while nine, including students and those on essential duties, were released on health and legitimate grounds.

Three offenders were assigned community service. In Aba, over 50 defaulters were arrested.

The exercise saw significant participation, with residents actively clearing gutters and cleaning their surroundings. Mr.

Philemon Ogbonna, the Commissioner for Environment, expressed satisfaction with the turnout and announced plans to establish a Neighbourhood Environmental Watch to maintain sanitation improvements. He urged residents to keep their surroundings clean and avoid indiscriminate refuse dumping.

The commissioner criticized some residents in the Osisioma area for non-compliance and called for active participation from health officers in future exercises. Mr.

Praise Onuoha, head of the ASEPA Monitoring Task Force, condemned an attack on ASEPA officials and reiterated the agency's commitment to maintaining cleanliness in the city.